If they had participated in the Champions League, MU would have been ranked above Barca.

MU is starting to find stability again.

The third round of the 2025/26 Champions League qualifying round saw the overwhelming strength of English football, with five of the six representatives winning convincingly. Manchester City, Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool and Chelsea all won (Tottenham drew 0-0 with Monaco), with performances that marked a strong comeback and squad depth.

5/6 England team won

Man City continued to show the usual stability of a European champion, when easily overcoming Villarreal 2-0 in Spain. Pep Guardiola's machine is no longer as explosive as the peak period two seasons ago, but is still cool and effective enough.

At the same time, Arsenal defeated Atletico Madrid 4-0 in a spectacular performance at the Emirates - a match that was seen as an affirmation that Mikel Arteta and his team had matured and were ready to return to the group of championship candidates.

Newcastle, who have been controversial for their unconvincing start to the Premier League, are flying high in Europe. A 3-0 win over Jose Mourinho’s Benfica not only made it two wins in a row in the Champions League, but also brought back the image of a Magpies full of pace and power. Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes shone in Eddie Howe’s pressing system – a sign that Newcastle have truly overcome their slump.

Ranking of 36 teams in the classification round.

But the two wins that most excited English fans belonged to Liverpool and Chelsea - teams that were beaten by Manchester United in the Premier League this season.

Liverpool, after a run of four consecutive defeats in all competitions, woke up in Frankfurt. Without Mohamed Salah in the starting line-up, Arne Slot's team still displayed powerful attacking football to come from behind to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1.

The central defender duo Van Dijk – Konate along with new signing Florian Wirtz and striker Hugo Ekitike all made their mark, showing that Liverpool have enough depth and courage to overcome the crisis. Slot, despite being new to Anfield, quickly brought steel and a strong spirit to the team after defeat.

In London, Chelsea continued to write a new chapter in the era of rejuvenation. Against Ajax - the team that once dominated Europe with its famous training academy - "The Blues" won 5-1, in a brilliant night for the teenage players.

Marc Guiu, Estevao Willian and Tyrique George scored, making Chelsea the first team in Champions League history to have three teenagers score in a single match. The second youngest team in English football history in the Champions League not only won, but did so with style and confidence.

Try to position MU in Champions League

Interestingly, both Liverpool and Chelsea have been “defeated” by Manchester United this season. Liverpool lost 1-2 to MU at Anfield, while Chelsea also lost by the same score last month. Although MU is currently 9th in the Premier League, this result makes many people look back at the journey of Ruben Amorim and his team with more respect.

In fact, MU is going through a heavy schedule in the first quarter of the season, having faced Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea - four of the five teams that are winning big in Europe. However, they still won two matches against Liverpool and Chelsea, and had an overwhelming performance against Arsenal but lost due to bad luck.

A year ago, Amorim defeated Guardiola in the Champions League.

Considering the current form of MU and the relative strength of English teams in the Champions League, there is reason to believe that if the "Red Devils" played in this arena this season, they could definitely earn 6-7 points - enough to enter the top 8, which means they are above Barcelona at the moment. Of course, all comparisons are hypothetical, but that number is still enough to reflect a fact: Manchester United is gradually reviving.

After a turbulent summer, coach Ruben Amorim is showing a clearer tactical mark, especially in his pressing ability and midfield organization. MU may not have reached the level of Man City or Arsenal, but they are back on track and are harder to beat than ever.

In the overall picture of English football in the Champions League, the brilliant five victories in Round 3 are not only an achievement, but also a message of comprehensive strength. Two English clubs are in the top 8 and all 6 clubs are in the top 16. And somewhere, although not present, Manchester United still left an indirect mark, as a reminder that they are on the journey back to the biggest stage in Europe - where they belong.

Source: https://znews.vn/neu-du-champions-league-mu-co-the-dang-xep-tren-barca-post1596170.html